During the second weekend of the program, I took a short train ride to the beautiful city of Burgos, located 125 miles (250 km) northeast of Segovia. Burgos is primarily known for its beautiful Cathedral, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Housed within this place of worship are the remains of El Cid, a Castilian nobleman and military hero. I've read numerous pieces about El Cid in various Spanish courses, and it was such a privilege to visit the city in which he is buried. As a matter of fact, there is a plaza named after him--Plaza del Mio Cid. In addition to the incredible cathedral, Burgos boasts Las Huelgas Reales Monastery and Miaflores Charterhouse. The city is also the principal crossroad of northern Spain along the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James). Check out my blog post about Burgos here (click me!).
I went to Barcelona during my long independent travel weekend. I visited Barcelona in May 2012, but I feel like I didn't get enough time in the city. I explored city up and down, including the following sites:
- La Sagrada Familia
- La Casa Milà
- Las Ramblas
- El Parque Güell
- El Barri Gòtic
- And SO much more!